All You Wanted
by Neila Nuruodo-Nosferatu
Summary: Ken finds another Digidestined, but she doesn't have a partner Digimon. Digimon songfic to Michelle Branch's song All You Wanted. This is my first fanfic, so please read and review.
1. Algebra

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Heck, I don't even own a house, so please don't sue. Also, I don't make any money from these insane ramblings. Unfortunately. (Oh, and the name Cherith belongs to some Star Wars author or another.)

You never know, I might figure out this HTML thing…

***************

"All You Wanted"

Chapter 1 

I wanted to be like you 

I wanted everything 

So I tried to be like you 

And I got swept away

Cherith sighed softly and glanced down at her watch. _Twelve more minutes,_ she thought, as the teacher, Mr. Jonsen, droned on about hyperbolas. She pondered for a moment on the cruelty of first hour algebra, then glanced at the boy who sat diagonally in front and to the left of her. He was so cute! She was new to this school, but Ken (that was him) was the first person she had really noticed.

She had moved to the city with her parents and her baby brother, Nikolas, about two and a half weeks ago. Where she had lived in the country, she had been at the head of her class, and no one could keep up with her. She had felt held back by how tiny her school had been. So when her dad had gotten a job offer in the nearby city, she had supported the idea, dropping hints here and there, that sort of thing. Now they lived in a large apartment complex with hundreds of other families. It had been almost overwhelming at first, but she was getting used to it.

What had been most unsettling was her new school. She had been at the top of her class for as long as she could remember, but suddenly she was only in the middle, at least of the advanced classes she was in now.

She returned her thoughts to algebra when she saw Mr. Jonsen glance at her several times. She had been told that he did that before he called on someone he thought wasn't paying enough attention.

"And so, what are the equations of the asymptotes, Cherith?"

She had come out of her reverie in time to find her place in the book. "Umm...plus or minus two thirds."

"Yes," he said, giving her a cold look before starting up again in his monotone voice.

__

Four minutes. I can make it. She tried to keep her mind on the lecture, but she understood it fine, and her thoughts kept returning to Ken. The teacher told the class what tomorrow's assignment was, and she put her stuff into her bookbag and waited for the bell. Second hour was...PE. _Oh, well._ At least she would see Davis and Trista. They were two of her four new friends. She had also met Danielle and Mark, who had joined her at lunch on her second day and every day afterwards. Also there was Kari and Yolei who had been nice to her on different occasions. Kari had given her the tip about Mr. Jonsen, but she was popular, and Cherith couldn't stand hanging with the popular crowd. Yolei was pretty shy, but they might be able to forge a friendship.

Finally the bell rang, and she went to the girls' locker room to change into her gym clothes. When she went out into the gym, the teacher was saying something about that they were starting a new sport for the next four weeks. She walked over to Davis and Trista just as the teacher revealed that it was soccer.

Davis whispered, "Yes! Yes!" and Cherith gave him her 'okay, you scare me' look.

Trista laughed and said, "Soccer is Davis's favorite sport."

Cherith grinned. "Yeah, I noticed that volleyball wasn't. But that's really cool. I love soccer, although I'm not very good at it."

Trista snorted and said, "That's what you said about volleyball."

Cherith looked embarrassed and said, "I mean it this time. Anyway, those spikes were just luck. I showed you that I couldn't do it again."

"And your ace serves? Were those just luck, too?" Trista smirked at Cherith's look of chagrin.

"Come on, you two, before Mr. Houston yells at you. Aren't you excited?" Davis hollered over his shoulder.

"Yes, I was just trying to figure something out," Trista said as they jogged to catch up with him. "Cherith said she wasn't very good at soccer, either."

"Like volleyball?" Davis joked. "You can be on my team."

The three friends laughed and walked down to the far end of the soccer field. 

***************

Ken smiled to himself as he entered the computer lab. He enjoyed his fifth hour computer class, even though he could have taught the class even better than the teacher did, because it gave him a chance to check up on the Digital World in the middle of the school day. As the teacher began explaining the day's lesson, he brought up the window that would show him which areas he had conquered. He scanned it briefly, noticing a place surrounded on three sides by his conquered territories. _ There,_ he thought, _that's where I'll go tonight._ He noted the area's coordinates and sent them in an email to his home computer. He paid just enough attention to follow the lesson so he could answer questions if the teacher called on him. The period went by uneventfully, and when the lunch bell rang, he got up automatically and walked through the door. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the girl walking past the doorway until he had run into her. Fortunately, she had apparently seen him and had stepped over enough that he didn't hit her very hard at all.

She caught his book in midair and handed it back to him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I should've been more careful." She was wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans, and she had her books in a bookbag on her back. He didn't think he knew her, but he might have seen her somewhere.

"It's all right," he replied, trying to figure out where he had seen her. She was kind of pretty, but in a natural way--she wasn't wearing any make-up. Definitely different.

She seemed to notice his thoughtful look and gave him an embarrassed smile. "I'm new here. My name is Cherith Tenshi."

"I'm Ken Ichijouji," he replied, watching her eyes to see if she recognized his name.

She smiled politely and said, "Pleased to meet you." She turned and began walking toward the cafeteria.

He dismissed the incident from his mind and went off to lunch. 

***************

Cherith, however, did not forget the incident so quickly. As she stood in the lunch line, she remembered how he dressed. Khaki and white, the same colors every day. She decided she would hate to dress like that. She liked to use her choice in clothing to express herself. But oh well. She got her 'mystery-meat-on-a-bun,' as Davis had called it, and walked over to the table where her friends were sitting.

She sat down beside Mark, looking around the table as she did so. "Hey, where's Davis?" she asked, noticing he wasn't sitting there.

Danielle, sitting across from her, said, "He and Yolei are coming. They're behind you," she added at Cherith's confused glance.

Davis sat down beside her, and Yolei positioned herself across from him so they could continue some earlier conversation.

"I don't know, Davis. Ken has always been really nice."

"Yolei, all I know is that he has been reclusive and secretive since about the time that the Digimon Emperor showed his ugly face. Also, I've heard rumors that sometimes he disappears for an afternoon or a day."

Cherith, her curiosity piqued, asked, "Are you talking about Ken Ichijouji?"

Davis glanced between her and Yolei, and then turned back to Cherith. "Actually, yes. Have you met him yet?"

Cherith smirked. "Yeah, I ran into him just before lunch. So what are you two talking about?"

"Well," Davis floundered for a moment , and Yolei said, "It's kind of personal. Sorry, I really would tell you otherwise." She smiled apologetically.

Cherith listened for any mention of Ken during the rest of the meal, but neither Davis nor Yolei said his name again.

As she got her biology book out of her locker for sixth hour, she decided that her schedule wasn't too bad. She saw Ken first hour in algebra, fourth hour during study hall, and sixth and seventh hour in biology. She realized that she probably seemed almost obsessive about him, but justified it to herself by pointing out how many other girls were more obsessed with him than she was. Just then, the bell rang, and she turned her mind to threading her way through the crowded hallway to her next class. 

***************

Ken closed his family's apartment door on the early spring chill in the air. "Hey, Mom, I'm gonna work in my room for a while."

"Okay, Ken," she said smiling and thinking what a good worker he was.

About half an hour later the phone rang. "Ichijouji residence."

"Hello. My name is Cherith Tenshi," came the voice over the phone. "I'm in Ken's biology class, and I was wondering if he could help me with something I didn't understand."

"One moment while I ask him," she said, walking to his door with the cordless phone in her hand. "Ken, one of your schoolmates wants to talk with you." She frowned when there was no answer, and said, "I'm going to come in." She opened the door and gasped when she saw that no one was inside. "He's not here!" she said, fighting back her panic. She wished that her husband was home. "I--" she broke off, trying not to burst into tears.

After a moment Cherith said, "Would you like me to come over?" She could hear the anxiousness and concern in the girl's voice.

"That would be very nice. Thank you so much."

"No problem," Cherith said softly. "Where do you live?"

She told her the address and apartment number. "I'll be there in two minutes," came the reply over the phone. "I live right across the street." 

***************

Cherith put the phone back on the cradle and went into the front hall. She hesitated a moment, and then threw on a warm sweater before donning her lightweight coat. She zipped it up as she ran down the stairs to the first floor. She crossed the street and, finding the right building, ascended the front steps and went down a flight of stairs to the ground floor. She found the Ichijouji residence and rang the doorbell. An anxious-looking woman answered the door, obviously Ken's mom.

"You are Cherith? I'm Ken's mom."

"Yes. Pleased to meet you."

"I called my husband. He gets off work in a couple of minutes, and then he'll come straight home." She took Cherith to Ken's room, and together they thoroughly searched the apartment. Neither found so much as a clue to where he could be. Cherith suggested that they check windows to see if any had been left open, and they split up.

Cherith found herself alone in Ken's room. She checked his windows and his balcony door. There was nowhere he could have gone. As she turned back, she noticed that his computer screen was glowing strangely. She stared at it, feeling a chill go up her spine. The glow intensified until it was almost too bright to look at. Then her eyes saw something her mind couldn't believe. Something seemed to be coming out of the computer screen! It broke free, flying straight at her. She caught it reflexively, and it split into two separate things. The object in her right hand was a flat, white, rectangular, plastic...thing. It had a seam running off the top onto the side and back onto the top, and a couple of buttons. She shrugged and put it into her back pocket. The thing in her left hand was kind of like a flat plastic oval, except it was wider at one end than the other. It had some kind of clip on the wider end. Apparently that was the top end.

She turned it over. It had a screen of some type at the wider end and two buttons to the screen's right. Below it, in the middle of the smaller end, was a larger round button. The object had a clear plastic grip around its edges on its lower two-thirds.

Cherith glanced up, hearing the apartment's door open and a man speaking with Ken's mom, probably his dad. She returned to studying the device in her hands and thought she saw a light on the screen. She brought it close to her face, trying to tell for sure, when a brilliant flash of light came out of the screen, blinding her. She gasped soundlessly and pointed it away from her face.

And toward the computer.

She felt as though she were falling, then realized that she was actually shrinking. She was suddenly pulled toward the computer screen. She shut her eyes. _This can't be happening. It isn't possible!_

She felt ground under her knees, but didn't open her eyes until she realized that her knees were getting cold and wet. She opened her eyes and jumped to her knees in surprise. It was snowing! There were already about six inches on the ground. She turned to look behind her and was startled to see what looked like a small TV sitting on the ground. On the screen was a view of Ken's room...as seen from the computer's screen! She felt dizzy for a moment. Was it possible that she was inside the computer? Not really. The world didn't stop behind the TV thing. Maybe it was like a portal or something. _Instantaneous transportation? I really don't know. Oh well, forget it._

She put the device in her coat pocket and looked around, trying to decide which way to go. She noticed a line of depressions in the snow. It looked like someone had walked through this area a while ago, and the snow had partially obliterated the tracks, leaving only a series of dents in the snow.

__

Maybe they're Ken's footprints, she thought. She set out, following them.

She had been walking for about a quarter of an hour when the snow stopped and she could see something sticking up out of the ground ahead. Something large. It looked almost like a huge tall rock, flat on one side and curving around, kind of like a "D". At the base of the flat side it sloped down flat along the ground with some kind of dome rising out of it. She walked slowly over, following the footprints that led straight to it.

***************

To be continued (when I get around to typing it up;)


	2. Tresspassing

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Heck, I don't even own a house, so please don't sue. Also, I don't make any money from these insane ramblings. Unfortunately. (Oh, and the name Cherith belongs to some Star Wars author or another.)

***************

"All You Wanted"

Chapter 2 

I didn't know that it was so cold and 

You needed someone to show you the way 

So I took your hand and we figured out that 

When the tide comes I'll take you away

The Digimon Emperor smiled to himself as he considered Wormmon's report that someone was approaching his fortress. He walked into the viewscreen room, expecting to see his Digidestined rivals' faces, but frowned in consternation as he saw only a lone girl who he was sure he'd seen before. _Oh, yeah,_ he remembered suddenly, _the girl I ran into. Cherith, I think_. He grinned and snapped his fingers. She seemed to be staring at his fortress in amazement. Well, he could give her amazing.

"Wormmon, have Airdramon await me behind the fortress. I'm going to meet with our visitor."

"Yes, master," Wormmon replied and scuttled away.

Ken walked to the rear of his fortress and exited through the back door. Airdramon was waiting there, a huge blue serpent with a skull-like head and red wings. He jumped onto his mount's head and commanded it to fly straight up, over the top of the fortress, and down over the girl who would be below. As he topped the fortress and began the steep dive, he wanted to laugh with the sheer exhilaration, but he squelched the feeling. He had Airdramon land in front of the fortress, but he didn't dismount. He found Cherith in a defensive half-crouch, standing in front of the locked front door of his fortress, staring with her mouth and eyes wide open. He was again struck by her natural, almost wild beauty. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, reminding himself that she was an invader in his newly acquired territory. 

***************

Cherith had to make a conscious effort to close her mouth. She straightened out of the defensive position she had taken when she had heard something above her and had glanced up. She had surprised herself, however, by getting into the doorway for the extra protection it offered. She would have expected herself to stand there with her mouth wide open until the dragon thing landed on top of her.

She pushed these thoughts from her mind and forced herself to walk toward the huge monster and the boy in front of her. _Get a hold of yourself, Cherith. Pull yourself together. After all, you're only completely lost and faced with a boy who rides a dragon._ She walked to one side of its head and looked up at the person perched up there.

"Do you know," he said harshly, "that you are trespassing?"

"No, I did not," she replied firmly. "I am totally and completely lost." She looked at him closer. If it was Ken, his hair and clothing were definitely very different. His hair was spiked, and he was dressed mainly in blue and black, with some kind of cape over his shoulders. He was also wearing a pair of goggles or glasses or something like that, she didn't know how to describe them.

"Well, you are," he said, and jumped down in front of her, landing neatly on his feet and creating a miniature crater in the snow. "What are you looking at?" he asked, noticing her scrutinizing gaze.

"Is that you, Ken?" she asked, almost incredulously.

He glared at her. "I am known as the Digimon Emperor here, Cherith. Be sure to remember that."

She smiled and said, "Sure, no problem." Her smile faded as she remembered the reason she had been trying to find him. "Ken--I mean Digimon Emperor-- I've been looking for you. Your mother is almost frantic with worry. She has no idea where you are. You ought to go home so she can stop worrying."

He frowned at her. "I don't recall being put at your beck and call. I'm not accustomed to taking orders from people trespassing in my domain."

Her eyes grew cold. "It was a request, not an order. Anyway, this is your mom we're talking about. I can't believe that a complete stranger like me could care more about her than her own son. If you won't come, I will at least go back to her and tell her that you're still alive."

He looked surprised and a little hurt by her words. "I am going back home, thank you very much. Anyway, how would you get back if you are really lost like you said earlier?"

Cherith shrugged. "I figured I'd follow my footprints back to the TV thing and try to go back the same way I think I got here."

Ken frowned. "How did you get to the Digital World, anyway? You aren't Digidestined, are you?"

She glanced at him in surprise. "Digital World? This is a separate world? Then how did I get here?"

"Yes, it is a world, comprised completely of data. When humans come here, their bodies are translated into data. And I asked you how you got here before you asked me.

She hissed softly between her teeth and replied, "I'll tell you en route. We really should get started. It is a ways to the TV thing."

He smiled. "Not really. We're gonna fly." He gestured to the dragon behind him.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Cool. I was wondering, what is it?"

"A species of Digimon, short for Digital Monsters. He is an Airdramon." He jumped onto its head, holding onto a bony ridge, and offered her his hand. She accepted it, and was a little surprised at how strong he was. "Don't worry about falling off. It's used to human riders."

She nodded and then snapped her fingers as she remembered something. "How I got here. Your mom and I split up to search the apartment for you. I was alone in your room when two things came out of the computer screen." She was startled that he didn't seem at all surprised by this.

He surreptitiously commanded Airdramon to fly very high up so the flight would last long enough for her to complete her story. Anyway, he could take her in a dive if he did it that way. He shivered slightly in the cold wind. She noticed and took off her coat, offering it to him. He shook his head. "I can't take it from you, then you'll freeze."

"No, I won't," she said. "I have a sweater on. Take it."

He accepted it. "Thanks. That's much better. But please, finish your story."

She smiled at him and continued. "Anyway, through a strange course of events, I ended up pointing one of them at the computer, and I seemed to get sucked into or through it. When I opened my eyes, I was in front of the TV thing I mentioned a couple of times. I followed footprints in the snow to that big rock where you found me. Excuse me for a moment." she said, reaching into her coat pocket. He moved his arm to make it easier for her. "Here's the one that pulled me through the computer."

Ken had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. There, in her hand, was a D-3 Digivice. "Th-that came out of the computer?!"

She looked at him in surprise. "Yes. Do you know what it is?"

Wordlessly he reached inside her coat to the waistband of his pants and pulled out a device just like hers, only in black and grey instead of white and clear. "This is a digivice. It allows its owner to pass between the Digital World and the real world."

She frowned slightly. "So this world isn't real?"

He seemed surprised by her question. "I thought it was a computer game, but I've been told otherwise. I'm not sure what to believe."

"So it should be called the physical world, not the real world."

Just then, Airdramon gave a bellow. "We're over the portal now. I'll answer all of your questions later." He smiled at her. "You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

"No," she answered. "Are we going to dive?" she added hopefully.

"Yes," he replied. "You might want to hold onto me. We will fall very quickly."

"Okay," she said, positioning herself behind him and wrapping her arms securely around his waist. She felt her heart pound with exhilaration as they hurtled toward the ground at an astonishing speed. She gasped as it seemed that they would smack the ground, but the Airdramon pulled out of the stoop just in time. It landed smoothly on the ground, and Ken jumped down near the TV thing. She followed him down before he could offer to help her, and he sent the Airdramon back to his fortress.

"Fortress?" Cherith said questioningly.

He smiled. "It's the, well, you called it a rock."

"Oh, that thing." She turned to the TV thing and said, "Now, how is this done?"

He got out his digivice, and she did likewise. They pointed them toward the TV and Ken said, "Digiport open!" Again she felt the falling sensation before she was sucked through the screen. _At least I have a vague idea of what's going on, and I'm not alone this time._

Suddenly they were both back in Ken's room. Unused to the transition, Cherith started to lose her balance, and Ken caught her. "Thanks," she said. He smiled at her, and she heard his parents coming toward the room they were in, apparently having heard her. She clipped her digivice to her waist and gently nudged Ken over closer to the door. 

***************

Ken sighed softly as he collapsed onto his bed. His parents had laughed, and cried, and hugged him, and asked him if he was alright, and told him never to worry them like that again, and asked him where he had been. Cherith had kind of stepped forward as though she were about to leave then, and they had thanked her repeatedly and would not hear of her leaving until after supper. At that point, he had complained discreetly of his hunger, and his parents had bustled off to prepare the meal, leaving the two of them alone. Cherith had just called her parents ad secured permission to stay for dinner after her mom had spoken with his.

He glanced at her. She was looking at him as though she wanted to ask him something, but was almost afraid to. "Yes?" he inquired.

"Well," she said, dropping her gaze, "do you think you could help me with the biology assignment? I didn't get any of the stuff about photosynthesis."

He smiled warmly. "Sure, no problem." He got out his biology book. "You see, the sunlight, which is luminous and thermal energy, strikes the leaf. The chlorophyll absorbs the energy, which excites the electrons in the molecules...." 

***************

Cherith lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. She had remembered where she had heard of Digimon before. It had come to her as she had gotten into bed, struck her so suddenly that she had nearly stumbled and fallen onto the bed.

It was probably eight years ago, on a class trip to the city. She hadn't been able to fall asleep because of her excitement. It was, after all, the first time she had been in the city that she could remember, because her parents had moved to the countryside when she was one. It was also one of the first times she had spent the night away from home, and she was glad that she shared a room with three of her close friends.

She had been looking out the window at the city lights when they began flickering on and off. Then this huge thing fell out of the sky and opened up. Out of it came a big green parrot. It had gone to the ground, and where it had landed, fire and lightning had flown into the air. After a while, it had stopped, and she had watched the city lights until her eyes began to close.

__

Wait a minute. Cherith frowned, suddenly realizing that there was no way she could have known that it was a Digimon. She shouldn't even have known the word 'Digimon.' _I was just a kid. But then, maybe that's why. _She resolved to ask Ken about it if she had the chance. With this thought firmly in her mind, she managed to fall asleep.

***************

Do you like it? Hate it? Review and tell me. 


	3. Vacation

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Heck, I don't even own a house, so please don't sue. Also, I don't make any money from these insane ramblings. Unfortunately. (Oh, and the name Cherith belongs to some Star Wars author or another.)

***************

"All You Wanted"

Chapter 3 

If you want to, I can save you

I can take you away from here

So lonely inside, so busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cared

Ken looked down dispassionately at his lunch tray. He didn't feel like eating. He didn't really feel like doing anything but going home and staring at the wall of his room, or maybe beating up on some helpless Digimon.

He say Cherith walk by with her tray. She didn't stop. His head sunk down a little lower, and he closed his eyes.

"Are you alright, Ken?" said Cherith's voice.

Ken's head came up. She was standing across the table from him, a look of concern in her blue eyes. "Yes, I'm just a little depressed," he responded tiredly.

Her eyes softened with compassion. "Anything specific, or just life in general?"

"Life," he answered with a sigh.

She smiled slightly and sat down across from him. "I know the feeling. What frustrates me is when my parents try to make me find a reason for it. They just don't understand." She glanced around the table. "Why don't you sit with your friends?"

He looked at her. "I don't have any friends."

She looked taken aback for a moment, but then she smiled. "That's not true. Unless you consider me to be just an acquaintance."

He felt surprised by this, but also grateful. "Thank you," he said softly.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then she said, "Do you think you could help me with something?"

He glanced up at her and said, "What is it?"

She gave him an embarrassed smile. "Well, when I was quite young, I saw this huge green parrot-looking monster, and somehow I knew that it was a Digimon. What I don't know is how I could have thought up that word at six years old, let alone know what it was. Do you have any idea how that is possible?"

He frowned slightly. "Not really. The only explanation I can think of is that you are Digidestined, and that the fact that you were so young allowed your native intuitions to be expressed before your rational mind could squelch it. However, I'm not at all sure about that."

She smiled. "It's better than anything I have." She heard her name and glanced over her shoulder to see Davis motioning for her to come. She smiled again and said, "My master calls me. I must go. Davis," she added at his look of surprised skepticism. "You don't mind if I leave, do you?"

__

Davis. He felt his depression settle back over him like a cloud. He managed a smile. "Not at all. See you around."

She started to leave, but turned back, seeming to pick up on his mood. "Look, if you want, we can go to the Digital World after school." He took a moment to think, and she added, "But only if you want."

"Of course I do," he answered, "but how will I pull it off? I can't worry my parents like that, not the next day."

She gave him a mischevious smile. "Don't worry about that. I'll explain on the way home from school." With that, she walked off to her friend's table.

He smiled slightly to himself. _Well, now I actually have something to look forward to._ It occured to him as he left the cafeteria that the excursion was already helping his mood. Not half an hour ago, he had been depressed and moody. Now he was happy, looking forward to when school would get out. His mind began wandering to what she might be planning to get them to the Digital World.

***************

Cherith grinned at Ken's amazed look. "You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

"Well, I had two study halls today, and I got all my homework done, so I had plenty of time to think about it. Speaking of, you don't have any homework, do you?" she asked.

"Nope, I got it done."

"Good. That would have complicated things." She frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "I told you my telephone number, right? In case it doesn't work out?"

He smiled. "Yes. Now stop worrying."

"All right, all right." _I really hope I didn't forget anything._ She stopped on the sidewalk leading to her apartment complex. "See you in a couple of minutes," she said cheerily, and headed toward the large building in front of her.

She unlocked the door and walked down the front hallway to the living room and over to the phone. She dialed her father's work number and waited as it rang.

"Hello. Shinjouku Technology, how may I help you?"

"I would like to speak with Mr. Tenshi. I'm his daughter," she added, remembering the runabout she'd gotten the first time she had called. She hadn't said that she was closely related to him, and they hadn't been going to let her speak with him.

"One moment, please."

She waited a little while, and then her father answered. "Mr. Tenshi here."

"Hey, Dad," she said brightly. "You know the boy whose house I ate at yesterday? He's offered to show me around town a little. Is there any problem with that?" She had called her dad because he didn't worry about her too much, and he thought she should get out more.

"Well," he answered slowly, "we were going to eat out tonight. What will you do for supper?"

"I guess I could bring some of my allowance and eat somewhere. Would that be okay?"

"Sure, honey. Just be home by 8:30."

"Okay, no problem. Hey, when will you guys be back from supper?"

"Probably around seven. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I was just wondering. Well, see you by 8:30."

She said goodbye, and sat down with a book to wait for Ken. After a couple of minutes, she heard the doorbell and answered the door. Ken stood there in a sweater, carrying his digivice. "Any problems?" she asked.

"Nope, I just have to be home before nine."

She made a face. "Eight-thirty for me. Listen, my family is going out to eat tonight." She ushered him in and began leading him toward her room, where the family's computer was. "They will get back at about seven. So, if we come back around 6:45, we can go to town and eat, you can show me around so our story will work, and be home by 8:30. Sound good to you?"

"Yep." He looked at the computer for a moment. "I'll have to set up the program that links this world to the DigiWorld on your computer." He worked quickly enough that she found it hard to follow. After a moment, he said, "There. When you put your digivice near the computer, the program pops up automatically. Other than that, it is impossible to find." He frowned and hit a few more keys, then said, "All right. Let's go."

They pointed their digivices at the computer and passed through. Cherith managed not to fall this time. She looked around, noticing vaguely that Ken was not in his cape-and-glasses outfit. _That suits me just fine._

They seemed to be in a sparse forest in early spring. There was just enough chill in the air to make them appreciate their sweaters. Ken chose a direction, and they began walking. Suddenly, Cherith stopped and hit her forehead. "A clock. How will we know when we need to leave?"

Ken smiled at her and pressed a couple of buttons on his digivice. Showing it to her, he said, "Don't worry, it's programmed into the digivices."

She made him show her how to access it, and tried it on her own digivice. Satisfied, she moved on. They made small talk for a while, and he told her some stuff about the Digital World. Then he fell silent, as though he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to bring it up.

"Cherith," he said after a couple of minutes, "it was very nice of you to do this for me. I really appreciate it."

She smiled. "Like I'm not getting anything out of this? Look, Ken, that's what friends do. It's because I care about you. You're important to me."

"Thanks," he said softly.

Cherith was about to say something to break the spell when she saw a flash of red above and in front of them. "What was that?" she asked, pointing.

He looked up and saw a Digimon perch on a branch nearby. "That is a Tentomon."

Her eyes shone with excitement. "Wow, this is really cool."

"You're the Digimon Emperor, aren't you?" Tentomon said in a high-pitched male voice.

"Who did you expect, Santa Claus?" Ken responded mockingly. "Let's see what you can do against my Snimon when your friends aren't here to save you."

Cherith broke in. "Ken, I am taking you on a short vacation. That means you will be relaxing, not fighting."

Ken turned to her angrily, but seemed to reconsider. "Vacation, huh? All right, whatever--"

"Who are you?" Tentomon interrupted.

Cherith regarded him with mild surprise. "I'm Ken's friend. We're here on vacation for the afternoon." She smiled at the red insect-like Digimon. "This is all new to me, so he's showing me around."

Tentomon huffed, "You should be more careful who you hang out with. You might end up getting attacked by accident." With that, he turned and flew away.

Cherith turned to Ken with an apprehensive look on her face. "I'd say that's a definite warning. You still want to stay here in the Digital World?"

Ken frowned. "Well, if I can't fight..."

Cherith smiled. "There is a difference between fighting and defending, you know."

"Well, then," he replied, "we'll just be careful."

*************** 

What do you think? Please review. *falls onto knees* Pretty please? 


	4. Trap

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Heck, I don't even own a house, so please don't sue. Also, I don't make any money from these insane ramblings. Unfortunately. (Oh, and the name Cherith belongs to some Star Wars author or another.)

"All You Wanted"

Chapter 4 

I'm sinking slowly, so hurry hold me

Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on

Please can you tell me so I can finally see

Where you go when you're gone

Ken marveled at the natural beauty around him. He had been so busy being an emperor that he had missed out on the 'simple joys' available in the Digital World. They walked into a small clearing, and he frowned and stopped walking. Cherith also stopped beside him with a small gasp. There, to one side of the clearing, was a small green plant-like Digimon with large almond-shaped eyes and a pink flower on its head. It was tied up and hanging from a low tree branch.

"Oh, the poor thing!" she cried running over toward the helpless Digimon.

"Be careful," he admonished, but she didn't seem to hear him. He followed a short distance behind her.

Suddenly, the ground under Cherith gave way, just before she reached the captive Digimon. She fell into some kind of concealed pit, but Ken lurched forward, catching one of her hands.

The plant-like Digimon slipped out of its bonds, yelled, "It didn't quite work!" and ran off into the forest.

Ken ignored it, trying to think which of his slaves would be of the most help. "Gorillamon! Come here!"

Cherith changed her position, trying to gain some purchase in order to pull herself upward or at least stop slipping down. Ken managed to grab her other hand, but it was all he could do not to slide over the edge and fall with her. He heard a loud crashing sound in the underbrush, and called out, "Over here!" A huge gray-white gorilla with a large weapon in the place of one of its hands lumbered into his line of sight. "Gorillamon, pull her up." The monster reached down, took one of her arms in his huge hand, and pulled her up effortlessly. She stood up shakily and looked around.

"Oh, great."

"What is it?" Ken asked apprehensively. Something in her voice set off alarm bells in his head.

"Well, there are a bunch of Digimon heading this way. And...they look like they're attacking."

He whirled around and saw them. Five Digimon, and one of them was Agumon! He gave Cherith a sideways glance. She probably wouldn't stand for it. _Oh well, I have to defend myself, and if Agumon gets taken prisoner in the process... _He walked over to the ape-like Digimon and gave it some instructions. Gorillamon began lumbering around them toward the attacking Digimon, but the pink birdlike Digimon yelled, "Spiral Twister!" A spiral of green energy flew toward the two humans, and Ken pulled Cherith to the side, putting his arms around her to shield her. The green spiral missed them, and Gorillamon finally got between them and the attackers.

"Gorillamon, cover us until we're well away from here, then get out of here yourself." He took Cherith's hand and pulled her away with him. They ran for a while, then stopped. "Great, now we're lost."

Cherith smiled at him. "Call Airdramon." She checked the clock in her digivice. "We still have about an hour until we need to leave. This has been a lot of fun, by the way, except for the last few minutes."

He laughed. "Well, we can wander around for a while, until we need to leave. How does that sound to you?"

She smiled. "Great. You choose a direction."

"No, I chose last time. It's your turn now."

"Good point, especially considering where you took us last time." She chose a direction randomly, and they set off.

The rest of the excursion went by uneventfully, and at about 6:50 Ken summoned Airdramon. They located the portal and left the Digital World.

He took Cherith downtown and showed her a few famous buildings and a memorial so she could show her parents if they were interested. Then they went to a restaurant that Ken suggested she might enjoy. By the time they were finished, it was 8:15, and she needed to head home.

They took a trolley into their neighborhood, and he walked her home, dropping her off at he apartment building five minutes early.

He walked home and talked with his parents for a while, then checked his computer for messages from the Digital World. There was one that said that Gorillamon had captured Agumon. He decided he would take care of it tomorrow afternoon, and went to bed. He woke the next morning when his mom knocked on his door and called his name. He got ready and left for school. The first five periods went by just like usual, and he got his lunch tray and sat down by himself. Cherith came over and sat across the table from him.

"Did you enjoy yourself yesterday?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes," he responded slowly, "it was both relaxing and productive."

She glanced at him oddly. "Productive?"

He winced slightly. He hadn't meant to give that away. Unfortunately, she would probably be able to tell if he lied. "It's not really important."

"Well, then, it doesn't matter if you tell me, does it?"

He sighed. "I captured one of those Digimon that attacked us. One that I have been trying to catch for a while now."

She eyed him for a moment, then asked, "And what are you going to do with this Digimon?"

He shrugged. "Probably force him to digivolve to Ultimate. He would be my strongest slave! If I could--"

Cherith interrupted him, frowning slightly. "Slave?"

He turned to her in surprise. "Well, yes. Isn't that what Digimon are for?"

She looked at him for a moment, still frowning. "I doubt it, although I don't know what they are for. Slavery is morally wrong. I don't think anyone should be able to own or control someone like that."

He gave her a cold look. "Don't be naïve."

She gave him a hurt look in return. "I would have thought better of you, Ken. You seem like a nice person, but I guess appearances can be deceiving." She got up and took her tray to her other friends' table.

Ken sat alone and picked at his food. He had lost his appetite. _Why do girls have to be so stupid? _He got up, threw his tray away, and walked to the office. He called his mom and told her that he didn't feel well. She talked to the secretary, who let Ken go home. His mom met him at the door of his apartment.

"Oh, Ken, you look terrible! If I'd known you were that sick, I'd have sent your father to pick you up."

"It's okay, Mom. He's usually too busy to get off, anyway. I'm going to sleep in my room, so please try not to disturb me."

"Okay, honey. I'll make you some soup when you wake up."

Ken went into his room and closed the door. He got out his digivice and opened a portal to the Digital World. 

***************

Cherith felt angry with herself. Why had she been so harsh with Ken? Sure, slavery was wrong, but she wouldn't convince him of that by being rude or mean to him.

__

Why do boys have to be so stupid? She sighed softly and tried to concentrate on taking notes.

She had first missed him sixth hour, when he should have been in biology. The teacher said that he had gone home.

__

No wonder, she thought bitterly. _He told me himself that I was his only friend, and then I seem to turn on him. _She tried to appease her feeling of self-loathing by promising herself that she would apologize to him as soon as she got out of school. The rest of school seemed to crawl by, but eventually the bell for the end of eighth hour rang, and everyone began filing out of the school. She put her biology notes in her bookbag so Ken could borrow them and copy down the ones he'd missed.

She stopped by her apartment and left a note telling her parents not to worry if she wasn't at home and then headed over to the apartment complex where Ken lived. She rang the doorbell, and Ken's mom answered.

"Oh, hi, Cherith," she said, smiling.

"Hello, Mrs. Ichijouji," Cherith answered politely. "Is Ken alright? He left school early."

"He'll be okay. He wasn't feeling well, so now he's sleeping in his room."

"Oh. Well, can I leave him a note beside his bed or something? It's kind of important. Also, I want to leave today's biology notes for him to copy down, if that's alright."

The woman in the doorway hesitated. "I don't know, he asked not to be disturbed."

Cherith smiled winningly. "Don't worry. I have a baby brother at home, so I get a lot of practice at being quiet."

She seemed to consider for a moment, then said, "Well, as long as you don't wake him."

Cherith smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry." She took a piece of paper and a pen out of her backpack and began writing.

Ken's mom kept glancing over at her, and eventually asked, "Just out of curiosity, what are you writing?"

Cherith hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly. "An apology."

The older woman nodded. "I see."

Cherith finished writing and folded the paper in fourths. She reached into her bookbag and got out her biology notes. Opening it to the last day of notes, she walked to Ken's room. She opened the door, stepped in, and closed it silently behind her. She turned and walked over to his nightstand. As she approached it, she realized that his bed was empty. He wasn't anywhere in his room.

She sighed softly. _Oh, well. I can still leave these here._ She set the notebook on the nightstand and laid the note on top of it. She turned and left the room, closing the door softly. She smiled at Ken's mom as she picked up her backpack. "Don't worry. I didn't wake him." _Which is true._

She crossed the street and went to her apartment. She did her homework and ate supper with her family. As she lay in bed waiting to fall asleep, she wondered if Ken had come back and gotten her note. He had probably been in the Digital World, but she hadn't had the heart to go after him.

__

Anyway, she reasoned, _he knows that's where I would expect him to go. He might have gone somewhere else, where he knew I wouldn't find him._ She sighed and tried not to worry about him. 

***************

Ken smiled to himself as he closed the portal to the Digital World. He had enjoyed his excursion greatly, and had put Cherith's and his argument behind him. As he turned away from his computer, he noticed something on his nightstand. He walked over and saw that it was a notebook with a folded sheet of paper on top of it. He picked up the paper and looked at it without unfolding it. His name was written on it.

He frowned. _That's Cherith's handwriting! _He dropped the paper back onto the notebook and left his room. _If she told Mom that I was gone..._

"I'm awake!" he called. He walked into the kitchen area, where his mother was making dinner. She didn't run toward him or ask him where he'd been, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Cherith had had the sense to keep her mouth shut. "Did Cherith come by?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

His mom turned and smiled at him. "You look a lot better. Yes, she came by and left a note for you. Didn't you see it?"

"Yes, I did." He sat down at the table as she handed him a mug of chicken soup.

She gazed at him thoughtfully as he began to eat. "She seemed to think it was important. She insisted on putting it in there herself."

Ken only nodded and continued eating, and she didn't press him any further. He finished his soup and slipped away to his room. He walked slowly over to his nightstand, picked up the note, and began unfolding it. 

***************

Cherith looked around as she walked to school. She had decided to leave home early and walk slowly in hopes that she would run into Ken on the way. She sighed softly with disappointment. _I'm almost there. Where is he?_ She had spent the walk taking a good look at her surroundings. She had never really taken time to become familiar with her neighborhood, and it was a good way to pass the extra time she had.

She turned a corner and was at the school. She looked for him as she walked to her locker, but she didn't see him in any of the main hallways. She put her algebra book in her backpack and walked to the algebra room. She sat in her seat, dropped her bookbag on the floor beside her, and put her head down on the desk.

"Cherith?" Ken's voice came softly from behind her. "Here's your biology notebook."

She sat up and turned to look behind her. Yes, it was him. She stood up, took the notebook, and set it on her desk.

"Thanks for lending it to me," he added.

She turned back toward him with her face full of concern. "No problem. Where were you yesterday?"

He smiled slightly. "In the Digital World. That's where I always go, especially when I'm angry."

Cherith nodded. "I've heard rumors of you disappearing for an afternoon or a day."

"I was probably in the Digital World," he said. "I like to go there whenever I can."

She stepped closer to him and took his hand. "I was kind of worried about you. What if one of those big Digimon you have were to hurt you by accident? What if something were to happen to you?"

He smiled at her. "Don't worry. I'm always pretty careful." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry about our argument yesterday. I definitely could have been nicer."

She smiled up at him. "It's all right. We were both to blame. I'm just glad it's over." Her smile turned shy. "You know, Ken--"

Just then, Mr. Jonsen walked in. Cherith dropped Ken's hand like it was on fire, and they both turned to face him, trying not to look guilty.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Um, no," Ken responded, and Cherith added, "Nothing important."

"Ah, I see," he said, smiling slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but just then the bell rang, and the two students went quickly to their respective desks, escaping any further scrutiny. The rest of the class filed in, and Mr. Jonsen sat down at his desk, shaking his head and smiling slightly.

*************** 

Please review, I like reviews! heh heh heh. 


	5. Alone

OMG!! People actually reviewed! I love u all ^_^

"Sailor Crystal"---actually my best friend's name is Danellia, and I couldn't leave her out, but this is a more standard name and a little easier to spell...

Sister Orlanda Marie Skippy---(kewlish name btw)-I'm trying!! I'm taking too many advanced classes for someone of my lack of intelligence, I guess.

Sailor Bree---Yes, my master.

"morningstar"---I'll try, I promise...

Angel Beech---Why, tanx so much! ^_^ I feel very special, so special I'll have to write! P.S.- thanks for adding me to ur favorite stories, that means so much to a menial author like me!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch. Heck, I don't even own a house, so please don't sue. Also, I don't make any money from these insane ramblings. Unfortunately. (Oh, and the name _Cherith_ belongs to some Star Wars author or another.)

***************

"All You Wanted"

Chapter 5

All you wanted was somebody who cared

If you need me, you know I'll be there

"Digidestined. Didn't you mention that once somewhere? It sounds vaguely familiar."

Ken shrugged. "I don't remember for sure." He and Cherith were walking through part of the Digital World again. "Someone who is Digidestined has a digivice and a partner Digimon, and they can come to the Digital World."

"Partner Digimon?" she interrupted, frowning.

"It's a Digimon that pairs up with a human. This partnership enables it to Digivolve when it wants to."

"Digivolve?"

"Well," he explained, "Digimon are capable of transforming into a stronger shape but keeping their thoughts and memories. This process is called 'digivolving.' It requires a lot of energy, though, so the Digimon usually has to de-digivolve after a while. You know, they go back to their original form."

"I think I see," she responded thoughtfully. "What does the digivice have to do with it?"

"It lets you go between the Digital World and the real world. Also, it seems to help your partner Digimon to be able to digivolve."

She nodded slowly and asked, "Who is your partner Digimon?"

Ken found it odd that Cherith wouldn't quite meet his eyes, and she looked like she was thinking something she didn't want to say out loud. He opened his mouth to say that he wasn't sure, but an old memory resurfaced in his mind, and without further thought he replied, "Wormmon."

She looked at him. "Who's that? Can I meet him?"

Ken was surprised. "I guess so," he said slowly. He felt reluctant to have her meet his partner. _Why do I feel so uneasy about **that**? _But, in his heart, he knew the answer. He was ashamed of the way he treated Wormmon. He didn't want her to know that he treated his partner more like a servant. But, most of all, he didn't want her to be afraid that he'd do the same thing to her. _Never,_ he vowed to himself. _I would **never** do that to her._ But a mocking voice seemed to reply, _Does **she** know that?_ He sighed softly and checked the time. "Hey, Cherith."

She came out of her reverie. "Huh?"

"It's almost six. We should probably head back." He paused, then added, "We can go see Wormmon tomorrow, or whenever the next time we come to the Digital World is."

She smiled. "That works."

They located the nearest portal and left the Digital World, reappearing in Ken's room. Ken noticed that Cherith seemed to have gotten the hang of coming out of the portals and no longer fell down. He offered to walk her to the door of his family's apartment.

As she turned to leave, Cherith bit her lip and stopped. She looked at Ken as though trying to decide whether or not to say something.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

She looked at him for a moment longer, sadness and even some apprehension in her eyes. "Do you think I have a partner Digimon out there?" she asked, and slipped away before he could answer.

He blinked and looked off in the direction she had disappeared in. _Is that what she's been worrying about all day? _It had never occurred to him that she didn't have a partner Digimon. He was used to her being alone.

__

Alone. Maybe that's why it seems so important to her. He closed the door and went into the kitchen to help his mom prepare dinner.

After dinner, he told his parents he was going to do some computer programming, and slipped away to the Digital World. On impulse, he chose not to don his Digimon Emperor outfit, staying with the clothes he typically wore in the real world.

He walked to his fortress, where Wormmon met him at the front door.

"Ken?" he said in surprise, probably at seeing Ken not wearing his Digimon Emperor getup.

"Hello, Wormmon," Ken responded quietly. He hesitated, not sure what to say. Finally he said, "Wormmon, would you like to take a walk with me? You don't have to if you don't want to."

Wormmon seemed surprised by the way Ken made it a request. He thought for a moment, then said, "I'd be happy to, Master, but I have to feed your captive Digimon first, and that may take a while."

Ken gave him a small, tired smile. "I'll help you so you finish faster."

Wormmon didn't seem to know what to say in light of Ken's unexpected kindness. He scuttled along silently at Ken's side, and Ken began to wonder, _Why have I been treating my partner Digimon like one of my slaves?_

***************

Wormmon found himself wondering what was going on with Ken. They had been walking for nearly five minutes, but Ken seemed lost in his own thoughts and seemed to have forgotten about him. Ken had done most of the work when they were feeding his slaves, but he had looked like something was bothering him. _Oh, well. He'll talk when he's ready._

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, then Ken said, "Wormmon, I think I'm going crazy. I let a girl get involved in my life, and now she's changing me. She isn't doing it on purpose, it's more like I want to make her happy. But I'm still changing."

Wormmon was quiet for a moment. "Is that good or bad, Master?"

Ken sighed softly. "Good, probably, but it's still hard. And you don't need to call me that."

Wormmon glanced at him in surprise. That was definitely different. _He used to demand that I call him that._ Maybe this change **was** for the better.

Ken continued after a moment. "Tomorrow, or whenever she comes to the Digital World next time, she wants to come and visit."

Wormmon nodded, feeling a slight pang of disappointment. "So you want me to stay out of the way."

Ken looked at him in surprise. "Actually, no. The reason she wanted to come was to meet you."

"Oh," he replied, taken aback. "I won't embarrass you, will I?" He looked down at his chubby, caterpillar-like body.

Ken looked at him and smiled. "She'll probably think you're cute. Don't worry. If you just be yourself, she'll like you."

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, Ken again lost in thought. Eventually he turned. "Hey, Wormmon?" he said, a little hesitantly. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the way I've been treating you. I've been a jerk, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. You've been the best friend I could ever have." Ken knelt in front of Wormmon and looked him in the eyes. "If I ever start acting like that again, tell me. You deserve better than that." Ken's head dropped to his chest. "You deserve a better partner than me. Oh, Wormmon, will you ever forgive me?"

Wormmon looked at the boy he had begun to think of as his master, who was now begging to be his friend. "Of course, Ken. I knew you'd come around. I'm just glad that you are yourself again."

Ken smiled slightly. "Thank you," he whispered, and hugged his small friend. "Hey," he said suddenly, "I want to tell you about this girl I met recently..."

***************

Cherith glanced over at Ken. He looked nervous. _He must be worried about what I'll think of Wormmon. _She smiled reassuringly at him and turned her gaze back in front of her. Ahead, Ken's fortress loomed up like a huge monolith, rising out of a clearing in the forest.

It seemed to take hours to cross the distance to the fortress, although it couldn't have lasted more than a couple of minutes. They entered through the front door, and he led her to his command chamber. He smiled at her and opened the door, holding it for her. She stepped through, unsure of what to expect. She had pestered Ken for the first half of the trip to tell her something, **anything** about his partner. He had finally given in and whispered secretively to her that he was a Digimon. She had thrown her hands up in the air and told him he was annoying, which he seemed to find very amusing.

She glanced around the unlit room and turned to her right as she heard a soft scuttling sound. Ken stepped in behind her and flipped a switch somewhere. The room flooded with light, and Cherith gasped softly.

"Oh, he's so **cute**!" she exclaimed, and knelt on the floor in front of the Digimon. He looked like a large, chubby, segmented caterpillar about two feet long from head to tail, and he held the front third of his body upright off the ground. He was green with a black stripe around his middle, and his conical feet were purple, as well as his mouth and the symbol on his forehead. He had large, smiling eyes, two long antennae, and his mouth opened sideways when he spoke.

"Hello," he said in a slightly quavery voice. "You must be Cherith. Ken has told me all about you."

She smiled at him. "Yes, and you must be Wormmon. It's nice to meet you."

"Thank you," replied Wormmon politely.

Ken stood by Cherith and smiled at Wormmon. "What did I tell you?"

Cherith straightened up almost self-consciously. "Hey, why don't we take a walk? In my experience that is the best way to get to know someone."

Ken grimaced. "I can't; I have English homework to do."

Cherith gave him a pitying look. "I got it done during study hall."

Ken smiled at her. "You two go without me. No reason you should suffer along with me."

She looked him in the eyes. "Only if you're absolutely sure. I don't want to make you feel bad or anything."

Ken laughed lightly. "Oh, go on, you two. Do you really think that would bother me?"

Cherith smiled also. "I guess not, but you never know."

Ken said goodbye and left to find the nearest Digi-port. Cherith turned to Wormmon.

"So, where do you think we should go?"

Wormmon looked surprised. "I don't know. Wherever you would like."

Cherith smiled at him. "Oh, come on. This is your home. Surely you know of a nice place to go for a walk."

Somehow he managed a smile, perhaps with his eyes. "Well, I'm sure I can think of somewhere. Follow me."

***************

Ken glanced up and then smiled as he saw Cherith appear in front of his computer. _That's right, we went through my computer._

"How was your walk?"

She smiled happily at him. "It was great! He can be very funny, and he's really nice. I think we will be good friends." Her head dropped slightly and her smile faded.

Ken, guessing what was bothering her, tried to cheer her up. "Come on, Cherith. All Digidestined have partner Digimon. Yours probably just hasn't found you. You have to be patient."

She sighed. "You're right. It's just hard, you know?"

Ken smiled and punched her shoulder lightly. "As long as you have that straight. Hey, did you make any more plans to go to the Digital World?"

"Actually, yes," she replied. "This Saturday I don't have anything else to do. Are you free then?"

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Why don't we meet here at ten?"

She nodded. "That should work. I'll call you if anything changes."

She slipped out of his room, and he got back to his homework.

***************

Ken got up off the couch to answer the door. "Hi, Cherith. You're late."

She smiled distractedly. "Hi, Ken. Nikolas started crying as I was about to leave, and Mom's hands were full."

He chuckled. "I was teasing you. It's not like we will be late for anything."

She followed him down the hallway into his room and they went through the Digiport. They emerged in a grassy plains-like area to find Wormmon waiting for them.

"Hey, Wormmon. How are you?"

Wormmon smiled at Cherith with his eyes. "I'm happy. I've been looking forward to all of us getting together."

Ken turned to Wormmon as they began to walk. "I got the impression you and Cherith really hit it off."

Wormmon nodded. "We get along together very well."

Cherith nodded but didn't elaborate, and they walked in silence for a few minutes.

They stepped into a clearing and froze in their tracks. There, on the other side of the clearing, were several humans and Digimon. Cherith's mouth dropped open as she recognized her friends Davis, Yolei, Kari, and two other boys she had probably seen at school. "Are **they** Digidestined?"

Ken didn't respond. _Which of my slaves should I call?_ "Tyrannomon! Come here!"

Cherith grabbed his arm. "We aren't here to fight!" she said, but her tone was more pleading than demanding.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If I don't do something, they'll attack us!"

"We could leave," she said, but he ignored her.

"Veemon armor-digivolve to...Flamedramon!"

He looked at Cherith, who was staring in amazement. "What was that?" she whispered.

"That," he said darkly, as all the others began to digivolve, "was one of them digivolving. My Tyrannomon won't reach us in time at this rate. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her away, Wormmon running behind them.

After a minute, they stopped in another clearing to catch their breath. Cherith shook her head as the crashing behind them grew louder. "We can't get away fast enough," she gasped between breaths.

Ken grimaced. "And they're chasing us **away** from my Tyrannomon."

Cherith turned to Ken. "Some of them are my friends. I'm sure I can talk them into letting us go."

Ken shook his head. "Yeah, right. It's not that I don't have faith in you, but there is no way they will let me get away."

Cherith looked at him oddly. "What have you done to them that--"

She broke off as the Digimon pursuing them came into the clearing. They turned to run, but one of the Digimon, the red bird-like one called Halsemon, had apparently circled around behind them--there was nowhere to run.

Ken stepped in front of Cherith and Wormmon. "Your fight is with me; leave them alone."

The Digidestined humans stepped up beside their respective Digimon, except for Yolei.

"You're going down," said Davis angrily.

Cherith stepped forward. "Davis, what is--"

Ken cut her off. "Cherith, this is not your fight. You should leave now while you can."

"Ken, as I've told you before, I'm your friend. And friends stand by their friends."

Ken turned around to face her, sadness in his eyes. "But what if it gets you hurt or killed?"

Cherith, apparently seeing the Digimon behind him about to attack, grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the way less than a second before four attacks hit the ground where he'd been standing. He turned to face them in surprise, and felt something hit him from behind, then an excruciating pain, then everything went dark.

***************

Cherith stared in horror as Ken crumpled from the red bird-thing's attack.

"Wormmon, we have to do something," she gasped, but her brain seemed to be frozen. She knelt by Ken and took his hand in hers.

"Get out of the way!" said the taller boy with the hat.

Davis frowned at her. "I'm with T.K. on this one, Cherith. You hang with the wrong crowd, you're just asking for trouble. Now leave him for us."

Cherith narrowed her eyes at him. "Over my dead body." she growled.

Wormmon jumped out in front of her and Ken. "And you'll have to come through me to get at her!"

Cherith stood up, then jumped slightly as her digivice began to beep. She unclipped it from her waist and looked at it. The screen was glowing brightly.

Wormmon made a surprised sound. "Cherith, I can digivolve!"

She stared in disbelief, as did the others across the clearing, as Wormmon began to glow and then change form. _Just like those other Digimon did earlier._

"Wormmon digivolve to...Stingmon!"

Cherith studied Wormmon's new form. He now had a humanoid body, covered with a jointed green exoskeleton. His head had two large insect eyes, and he had two pairs of transparent dragonfly wings.

As she realized that the others across the clearing were still staring, she made a quick decision.

"Worm-- I mean Stingmon, let's get out of here."

"Agreed," he replied, and scooped Ken up over one arm. Cherith carefully sat down on that arm to make sure Ken didn't fall, and they took off.

She glanced over the Digimon's shoulder as they flew off. "That bird-like one's catching up to us!" she cried.

Stingmon turned around to face the rapidly approaching Digimon. As it seemed to be readying itself to make an attack, Stingmon extended his unoccupied arm, and a glowing purple energy blade extended from his wrist.

"Spiking Strike!"

As he hit it, the other Digimon halted and seemed to shudder, then headed down toward the ground. Halfway there, it de-digivolved, turning into a small red eagle-like creature. From the clearing that they'd left came the other two flying Digimon.

Stingmon turned and flew away, and over his shoulder, Cherith saw the catlike one stop and land where the bird Digimon had gone down. The horselike one pursued them for a moment, but wasn't as fast as the birdlike one had been. When it realized that it would never catch them, it, too, circled around and landed where the other two had.

Stingmon changed course after the other Digimon had disappeared from sight, and after a while, he landed at the edge of another small clearing. He gently lay Ken down, and Cherith knelt beside him. Stingmon de-digivolved to Wormmon, which earned him an odd look from Cherith.

"Digivolving takes a lot of energy," he explained, "and I'm tired."

She nodded and checked Ken for a pulse, sighing with relief when she felt a strong one. She sat down with her back against a nearby tree. "Well, now I guess we wait until he comes to."

***************

The first thing Ken noticed when he woke up was that he ached all over. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but everything was blurry and there was something heavy on his chest that prevented him from sitting up. As his vision focused, he saw that Cherith was sitting beside him with her hand on his chest, holding him down.

"Where are we?" he asked, trying to sit up again, but still she wouldn't let him up.

"I don't know, but neither do the others." She finally released him, and he sat up slowly, wincing in pain.

"What hit me?" he asked, rubbing his back, which was especially sore.

"That red bird-thing, the one behind you. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just sore." He looked around. _Where **are** we?_ "If you don't know where we are, then how did we get here?"

Cherith looked at him for a moment before answering. "Wormmon digivolved and flew us both away to here."

He frowned. "But I was unconscious! How could he have digivolved?"

"Cherith helped me," Wormmon replied before Cherith could.

Ken suddenly felt cold all over. "Cherith, could you give Wormmon and me a moment?"

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Sure," she said and slipped away.

Ken gazed thoughtfully at Wormmon, although inside he was feeling frustrated and depressed. "So, I guess you're actually Cherith's partner Digimon, then."

"Of course not, Ken," came the slightly surprised reply. "That was more of an emergency situation. Anyway, you can make other Digimon digivolve, can't you?"

"But I have to use something special for that, like a black ring."

"And you don't think her digivice is special?" Wormmon asked. At Ken's look of consternation, he continued, "Well, **I** knew it was different the moment I saw it. It has a kind of aura about it, even more than yours does."

Ken felt like his head was spinning. He certainly didn't remember Wormmon saying anything about his digivice before, and now learning that Cherith's was even more special? "Is...is that why she doesn't have a partner Digimon?"

Wormmon looked at him for a moment. "I'm not sure what you're asking me. All I know is that I was able to digivolve because of her digivice and our friendship. What do you mean about her having a partner Digimon?"

Ken shook his head in confusion. "Forget it; I'll worry about it later. So, you're saying that her digivice can help other Digidestined's Digimon digivolve?" (a/n-Augh! Always avoid alliteration! heehee)

"Well, she has to get to know them a little first, but other than that, yes."

__

Where **is** Cherith, anyway? "Cherith?" he called loudly in the direction in which she had left. After a moment he could hear her coming.

He stood up as she came into sight, her expression carefully neutral.

He gave her a distracted smile. "Sorry about that; I just needed to figure a few things out."

She smiled back, relaxing as she understood that there was apparently no real problem. "So, what's going on?"

"Well, our first order of business is to get out of here before those other kids find us again. I don't know where the nearest Digiport is, though."

She grimaced. "Neither do I. I don't even have the slightest clue where we are."

Ken nodded. "So we can either walk to the edge of the forest and try to figure out where we are, or I can call my Airdramon and almost certainly be found by those kids." He leaned back against a nearby tree, frustrated. Neither of those options really appealed to him.

She frowned. "Or maybe Wormmon could digivolve..." she said slowly, not completing her thought.

Ken straightened suddenly as an idea occurred to him.

"I think I know what to do!" He smiled. "Airdramon? I want you to fly toward me, but land before you get to me. I will give you further instructions then."

"What's that for?" Cherith's voice brought his attention back to her.

He grinned. "He's going to be a decoy for us. Those kids will follow him and you," he pointed at Wormmon, "will digivolve and fly us out of here. Can you do that?"

Wormmon nodded hesitantly. "I think I've rested long enough."

"Good. If either of you think of anything else, tell me and we'll consider it. Until Airdramon lands, I don't think there's much else we can do." He sat down with his back against a tree.

Cherith sat beside him, her back to the same tree. "Great. You know how much I love waiting." Wormmon settled in between them as they began to brainstorm.

***************

See, I finally posted more! (sorry it took so long.) This was going to be the last chapter, but it's too long, so you can expect one more installment. PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'm actually not a human, I'm a review vampire. If you don't review, I'll die and won't finish the last chapter!


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